Fennel & Mushroom Salad

Ingredients
  • Fennel Bulb (Small or Medium Size)
  • Fresh Mushrooms (Button or Cremini)
  • Lemon
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Lettuce (Mixed Butter Lettuce)
  • Italian Parsley
  • Ground Pepper (Fresh)
  • Sea Salt
Instructions
A quick and tasty lunch salad. 

Prep. Trim the fennel bulb. Cut of bottom end, until the layers free. Then trim the top stalks to just above the bulb. To make slicing thinly easier, I then cut the bulb in half, so there's a nice flat surface.

To prepare the mushrooms take a moist, not wet, paper towel and wipe clean. Grab a sharp nice and you're ready to begin.

Steps. Cut the fennel into thin slices. You can adjust a bit according to how much crunch you like. Place in bowl. Cut mushrooms lengthwise, also thinly. Add to bowl as well. Dice a couple of sprigs of the parsley. Add to the bowl.

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze juice from half the lemon in the bowl with fennel and mushrooms. Use your hand to catch lemon seeds.

Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then salt and pepper. Mix so that everything is well coated. 

Plate. I plate on a bed of mixed, tender lettuce. My favorite is mixed butter lettuce. The light green and dark red look great and don't compete for attention.

I leave at least on sprig of full leaf parsley to add on top of the salad after it's plated. Carefully removing the leaves from the stem, and adding for color.

Options. Parmesan Crisps. The first time I had this, it was prepared with baked parmesan cheese that was thin and crunchy. Very good, but I've never done at home.

Serve. Immediately. I have prepared in advance, it changes the crispness of the fennel, and makes the dish more lemon flavored, but is still good.

Calories. Depending on amount of Olive Oil runs between 180 to 300. Each tablespoon of Olive Oil is 120 calories. So only use enough to coat the mushrooms and fennel if your calorie counting.